Nadia Chellaoui
Where Art Meets Craft, and Tradition Finds Its Voice
by Alexa Bouhelier-Ruelle
Casablanca’s bustling streets and Paris’s timeless elegance might seem worlds apart, but for Nadia Chellaoui, they are the twin pillars of a creative universe where art, craft, and identity intertwine. Her story begins not in an atelier, but in the precise, numbers-driven world of actuarial science—a career she pursued for over two decades. Yet, all the while, Nadia nurtured a parallel life as a painter, her canvases alive with bold colors and geometric forms. It was in 2017 that these two worlds collided, and her path took a decisive turn. “I wanted to bring art out of the galleries and into the streets,” she recalls. “For me, a bag became a work of art in its own right—one you can touch, carry, and let travel with you.”
"...Casablanca is my anchor, my roots; Paris brings elegance and international vision. Between the two, I’ve found balance."
Today, Nadia’s leather bags are celebrated as much for their striking aesthetics as for their soul. Each piece is a transportable canvas, a fusion of her pictorial universe and the meticulous craftsmanship of Moroccan artisans. “My bags are transportable works of art,” she explains. “They carry a strong identity, combining the rigor of structure with artistic freedom.” Her creative process is deeply intuitive, often sparked by an emotion, a color, or an architectural detail. “It always begins with an emotion,” she says. “I sketch, often extending ideas from my paintings, then I consider functionality and how the bag will be carried. From there, it becomes a dialogue with Moroccan artisans—selecting leather, experimenting, refining.”
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The influence of place is palpable in her work. Casablanca, with its raw energy and rich textures, grounds her, while Paris sharpens her sense of elegance and international vision. “Casablanca is my anchor, my roots,” she reflects. “Paris brings elegance and international vision. Between the two, I’ve found balance.” But her inspirations don’t stop there. The embroidery of Rabat, a craft she grew up with thanks to her grandmother, is woven into the very fabric of her designs. “My grandmother was an embroiderer, and I grew up surrounded by her patient, precise gestures,” she shares. “This emotional and cultural memory lives on in my bags: my designs are embroidered on leather or canvas, echoing the spirit of Rabat’s refined embroidery.”
Nadia’s creations have found their way into the hands of stylists, onto the screens of Emily in Paris, and into collaborations with designers like Juana Martín and Yoshiki. Yet, the most rewarding moments are those when her bags become part of someone’s story. “I want them to feel the strength of something unique, the emotion of carrying a work of art, and the freedom to express their individuality,” she says. For Nadia, a bag is more than an accessory—it’s a companion, a conversation, and a celebration of the places and people that shape us. In her hands, art is not just something to be admired; it’s something to be lived.
Words by Alexa Bouhelier-Ruelle
Photos provided by Nadia Chellaoui
